Warli Landscape with Tarpa Dance

On Diwali, the festival of lights, as the lamps are lit, the TARPA is used to summon young couples in the village to dance in a ring. (TARPA is a long bulbous musical instrument made from dried gourd) Dancing in a circle around the tarpa player-it is life seen as a celebration of human endeavors. It is a breathtaking round of swinging, swirling movement- a merry-go-round of light and sound festivity. There is an atmosphere of lush celebration around the central theme

Warli Tribe

Animals consist of two sharply formed triangles. The horse with the rider, especially, is fully etched out, sharp and confident in its angularity. The emergence of huts, animals, humans, show signs of domestication. That they are engaged in activity, suggest a primitive level of development.

In this painting, we see a whole wave of movement of humanity as it swirls one way and then another with the ebb and flow of life. This description by Renu Rana. References:

Dalmia, Yashodhara. The Painted World of the Warlis: New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, 1988.